Reality
by Slade Wilson - Deathstoke
Summary: (Slade vs. Robin) Sometimes, even the simplest weapon can insure victory for the darker side of the war…


_Reality_

_Slade Wilson – Deathstroke_

This is a one-shot; just something I'm setting my mind on while I try to work out the plot for Belief. **I still feel the Apprentice episodes in the first season ended too quickly for my liking** or, really, the issue between Slade and Robin. If you ever read the comics, you'd know that he is a man hell-bent on getting exactly what he wants when he wants it, and his switching to Terra in the show didn't…go too well with his character. Not only that, but I guess I'm writing to show that even the simplest weapon can win the battle.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not.

Summary: (Slade vs. Robin) Sometimes, even the simplest weapon can insure victory for the darker side of the war…

Oh—and before I forget, this is any time after Terra and before the whole Raven theme. Just play along seeing that even the boy wonder has no clue to as how Slade returned. Let's put it **directly after Haunted**—shall we?

ONE-shot:

Returning from the dead was a specialty of his. After all, he was a meta-human. In the army an experiment gone wrong gave him the power to resurrect, a mind that used ninety percent of itself, strength beyond that of any man, senses heightened to their peek and reflexes like he had never known before. He lost his family along with his new self, all of them either dead or, in his daughter Rose's case, living without knowing he was alive. It could have been viewed as a sad tale but now that the monster side of his personality was taking over he could care less. Why care? He as never going to die, so why should he follow any mortal (or moral) laws? Seeing that he was going to around the longest he might as well take control…

And he'd be damned if some fifteen-year-old brat was going to defy him.

It was exciting when he found a boy who was absolutely mortal in every way, but bested millions of children his age with his brains, bronze and agility. Society was lucky he was on their side for when he grew up he could go so far as create a war and even when captured he failed to change his ways. Although it was most entertaining to what him suffer and squirm in defiance, it was upsetting to see how vehemently he fought change and beyond disappointing that he "got away" when he could have been something greater. It boiled a rage like none other before in Slade's chest that a small boy won, and god-forbid if he should kill the child. But killing the child would be seen as s sign of weakness—his dealing with the failure of molding a child to perfection.

Failure…what a sour taste in your mouth.

Murdering the boy was too good a punishment for Robin…and too bitter for Slade. If he was going to have revenge, he was going to drag that brat through hell and beyond before he was anywhere near through with him. If it was a fight Robin wanted, then it was a fight he was going to get, and Lord have mercy on the foolish unfortunate who tried to get in the way.

This so luckily happened to be Starfire.

Whether the girl always went out on her own at night or if she was looking for Robin while he was out on patrol, Slade could really care less—the fact was that he knew Robin felt something for the girl and that he would be willing enough to do anything in exchange for her life. And why? The girl was so stupid as to stop when she saw Slade's robots and take them on herself, forgetting entirely about the others who could help her. Her communicator was dropped when she finally realized her mistake and crushed by one of Slade's commandoes. Then she was buried under a heavy assault from his creations and taken unconscious back to him, one of his quickest victories to date.

She was kept sedated for a day, her body pale and cold as she dwindled toward death. He was slowly killing her with chemicals—but only enough to keep her on the brink of oblivion as, at the same time, he hooked her up to machines to keep her alive. They were controlled through a remote strapped to his wrist, the only place he trusted to keep something so small and important, and everything would shut down if he did so choose to push the button. Of course, the sedative would keep her under long enough that she died before she could wake, and that was satisfying enough for him, but this wasn't even half of what he was planning.

He didn't keep her in his hideout—actually; he placed her on the far side of town a long ways away from where he was operating all his plans. But, as usual, when Robin got the individual note to come alone, he obviously thought he would find her there. Slade allowed the boy to snoop around in the dark for a while before presenting himself, watching with a cold eye as Robin stiffened at the sound of his voice.

"I'm actually surprised that you came…I thought you would have learned better by now than to come alone."

"Where is she?" Robin growled, cutting to the chase and ignoring the comment. He was just as proud as Slade about being on top of everything and this must have been a sore defeat on his part.

Slade shrugged, slowly pacing around the boy in a circle, hands held behind his back. "Honestly, I thought you just dropped by to say hello."

"Enough games—where is she!"

What a temper. A little patience would have served him better, but that could be learned through time. "Somewhere you will most likely never find her." He answered. "Ands\ trust me—you'll be too busy to find her."

The boy was having a war in his mind; Slade could read it in the frown he wore. He was contemplating whether he was going to win or lose this battle, whether or not what Slade was telling him was fact or fiction. Yes…Robin was even wondering if she was dead.

"She's still alive, if that's what has you worried." He offered coldly, halting in front of the boy where he first started his scanning. The boy was still just as strong, if not stronger, and he had been keeping up with his training, probably one day expecting to see Slade again. Well, after Slade had Wintergreen set off the dust in his mask, who wouldn't expect him to return?

"What do you want?"

It was a question he had heard a million times before and he was never tired of hearing it, always getting what he wanted whenever it was asked.

He stood still and watched Robin hesitate at his own question.

"What I wanted the first time."

Robin was mute with dread. He still frowned, but Slade could see the sorrow in the look, the horror if Slade received what he was looking for.

After waiting for a reply and getting not so much as a sound out of the boy, Slade continued. "But you have a chance to escape that…Just fight me."

Robin didn't need an invitation for that. His bo-staff was whipped out in the blink of an eye and he took up his fight stance before asking, "If I win, you will tell me where she is?"

"_If _you win…"

And so it began.

Slade gave the boy the first move, watching as he slid forward nicely in a quick jab at his abdomen. The hit missed when Slade took out his own bo-staff and brought it down against the boy's. Then Robin shot it upward, arching backwards to reach high enough for Slade's mask, but this was met again by his larger opponent. The two stumbled backward before charging towards each other, the metal of their bo-staff ringing out when they braced against one another and their eyes locked as the game turned to a push and pull war.

"Not bad." Slade said with ease, pushing Robin back a step. The boy was getting stronger, but his lack of weight was always a problem. You needed weight to brace yourself properly otherwise you could be tossed around like a rag-doll.

And that just so happened.

Slade started running forward, the metal soles of Robin's boots screeching against the ground as he slid backwards from the force before he came crashing into a wall. Winded, he cried out as the two bo-staff pressed into his chest, the sickening crunch of a rib following as he fought to release the pressure.

"Not bad…but you could do with some practice."

"Shut…up…" Robin hissed through gritted teeth, finally finding the strength to push the bo-staffs away. He was left with maybe an inch of room between him and his chest, but that was when he slim frame came in handy. He put a foot against Slade's knee and the other on the wall behind him and pushed up—flipping over Slade as the boy released his grip on his bo-staff. His sorely abandoned weapon clanked to the floor as he landed, turning and ducking just as Slade came at him with a horizontal swing. He was dangerously low to the ground and used this fact to his advantage as he tried a leg sweep at Slade.

Slade had expected as much and jumped, bringing his staff with him, this time vertically toward the boy's head. He expected Robin to roll away, but the boy stood when the whizzing metal was coming for his and raised both hands—catching the end of the staff between them as he clapped.

A new and impressive trick.

Keeping his grip on the weapon, he turned his body sideways and aimed a side-kick at Slade's face. This was actually fast enough to catch the man off guard and met it's mark as Robin slid the staff from Slade's grasp.

Down on one knee, Slade grabbed Robin's abandoned staff as the young hero twirled his opponent's and brought it toward his head. Blocking it thrice, he stood and caught Robin in the face with a back kick. The boy's head snapped back from the mighty blow and stumbled back, almost falling at one point before he could regain his balance.

"You might want to watch yourself." Slade warned. "Wait until you see the end."

"I expect a grand finale." Robin muttered, rubbing his jaw as the circled. "Then again, you always run at the end."

"Do I?"

"All but once."—A reference to the last time Robin was caught—"But this should be the last."

"The last time we fight on opposite sides, you mean."

Robin scowled at the comment and charged in blind fury. Slade didn't even have the chance to count how many times Robin struck at him. Robin kept his staff in constant motion, twirling and spinning it as he shifted his body to move properly with each thrust, swing and sweep. It was like a dance to the boy, swift and agile as he was. That hate fueled so much strength and was aided greatly by adrenaline as he tried as hard as he could to knock Slade down, and soon he was granted a gift for all his efforts. He raised the edge of his staff high enough just above Slade that he was able to bring it down on the crown of his head and knock his head forward.

Pain erupted in Slade's neck as he stumbled back, slowly lifting his head. It could have been broken, but even if it was his powers healed it promptly as Robin frowned in wonder. The boy probably expected to break Slade's neck…he was possibly now disappointed that he didn't.

Perfect.

"A fatal blow, Robin." Slade congratulated, watching the boy as his eyes widened in shock. "You didn't strike me as a killer, but everyone changes."

"No…I didn't…" Robin shook his head, frowning as he weakly defended himself. "…It was an odd hit…You…You're still alive."

"And for how long?"

The boy was lost for words—and sorely off guard. Slade dropped his staff and came forward, this time greeting Robin with an assault of punches and kicks. The boy ended up dropping his own staff and backed up quickly as he tried to block what was delivered to him. Every second or third strike hit it's target, but still Robin insisted in trying to fight. Soon his back met the wall and he bent forward slightly when Slade's fist came into his stomach. Winded, he started coughing, Slade's fist still in place as he pushed further into the boy's gut, twisting.

When Robin could no longer cough, could no longer make a sound, Slade pulled his fist out and stepped back, watching as Robin slid down to sit on the ground, back leaning against the wall. A hand was held against his stomach and he spat to his side a bit of blood.

Now was as good as any time to win.

Slade reached behind his back and slipped it from his belt, kneeling then and grabbing Robin's ankle. The boy gasped as he was slid forward, now lying on his back at the feet of his enemy as Slade stood.

Both opponents as still as stone, Slade wondered what thoughts must have been running through Robin's mind as she stared up at the barrel of a gun aimed at his forehead. Hands lying by his sides, Robin watched in silence, wondering if Slade would really shoot him there.

Slade waited until Robin calmed, the steady rise and fall of his chest barely visible as the boy forced himself to relax. It must have been killing him to know that Slade was taming him right then and there, forcing him to accept his defeat quietly. But defeat was inescapable—everyone faced it at least once or twice in their lifetime.

"If you die, I will kill her." Slade said. "So let's not act stupid.

Robin sighed, as much as an answer as Slade was going to get. He knew he wasn't going to get a straight answer from Robin so he kept the rules and regulations to this capture for a woman's sake to Yes and No questions.

"No struggle."

"None."

"No disobedience."

"None."

"Absolute silence unless I ask you to talk."

"…Yes."

"……_Perfect_."

Robin shivered.

A sour defeat.

**A/N: **The bad guy wins—something I don't see a lot of these days. I guess this could continue…but I will leave that decision to you. I like it just the way it is.

Slade Wilson - Deathstroke


End file.
